Monday, November 01, 2010

Nov 1 - Not Finished...

The painting has the touches that I felt needed to be present for the demonstration audience, and I brought it back to the studio looking like this. Even though the major details are now in place, I'm going to adjust and make some major shifts in it when I can calmly look at it in the quietude of the studio.

I enjoy doing demonstrations, as I tend to talk-talk-talk, sharing information as the brushes are moving (those who have the newest DVD will attest!). But the painting at this stage lacks the nifty details that makes an acrylic under my hands so much fun to visually enjoy.

We do need to step away from our work to get a better feel for it. Women especially tend to noodle paintings beyond saving because we are wired to believe that "if we just DO something, it will be better". And that noodling generally results in disaster. I know the men reading this are nodding their heads, having told their wives, wishing they could say "Just leave it (AKA me) alone," as we women try to fix things. So I've trained myself to walk away from my art, knowing that when I return to the work, it will be with a fresh mind, able to see more clearly what needs to be done. So it is with this one.

Since I'm still in Chicago, I've been unable to noodle the painting, even if I wanted to, so this is accepting what is, and that's always a good thing.

Flying back to California on this first of November, el Dia de los Muertos. May you have recovered from the spooky goblins and skeletal hauntings of Halloween to remember one's ancestors today!

I will be giving a three-day, spaced out over several weeks workshop after the New Year for the folks in the Temecula area.

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Oct 31 - Happy Halloween and the demo painting

I've taken another photograph of the painting's progress, now thirty minutes into the demonstration last week. Here I've finally opened the Warm Box and added some of the lights to the canvas. However, those orange areas in the foreground are located in the shade, so they're made with yellow ochre and alizarin, two Cool Box hues!

At this stage, I'm still fooling around with the large shapes, and accidentally many of the interesting edges occur just because I'm not "trying" to make edges. I've found that a lack of concern for edges until later in the painting process. Most of the "accidental" edges just remain as visual eye candy.

Happy Halloween to y'all. I won't be seeing any trick or treating today as the hotel here isn't the place. But the Navy housing around me will be doing it, and I'll be looking out for some little costumes.

Here's another very creative image taken by my nephew (New Jersey contingent--where I spent last Christmas). He's quite the creative photographer, lining up my sister and his daughter Kristina at that chrome sculpture in Millennium Park. My niece the graduate is texting in the background. (She hadn't seen her phone while in boot camp!)

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.

Oct 30 - Chicago in Balmy Fall Weather

This is the painting, 20 minutes in, because I FORGOT to photograph it after the first ten minutes! Arrrgh!

What I've done here is opened the Cool Box only to paint (first) the large dark structures of the trees and deep gray greens. I left the warms exposed where I plan to put the focal point and the sunlit patches of light coming through the pines. I'm using a one-inch filbert as I paint these large shapes. The rocks (purplish shapes) are done with the sky trio, plus white and a bit of burnt umber to "kill back" the purity. The sky patches coming through the trees do not have that umber in the mix, because one would "never" use earths in the sky!! (Oh, I hear the voices of the Color Boot Camp graduates saying that!)

When I return from Chicago, I'll be getting ready for the Color Boot Camp coming up November 11-14. It's full, but there are plans afoot for me to teach three weekend days spread out over the end of January and February for the folks in Temecula next year. They might have a couple slots, but there were ten already to sign up after my doing this demonstration.

Chicago is enjoying some really "balmy" 50+ degree weather, and Sparky and I were in Millenium Park at that huge chrome sculpture. That's my family in the background and my sister taking the photo. Silly fun!

The newest DVD on the Color System is HERE
You can see my entire blog HERE.
My workshop schedule for 2010 is HERE.
Color System information can be found HERE.
If you need to email me directly, please click here.